For many of us, our pets are members of our family and the loss of a pet in a fire can be devastating. It is important to remember that you may have less than a minute or two after the smoke alarm sounds to get out of the house. Because many pets will hide out of fear, taking time to search the house for them can mean the difference between life or death. Leaving pet rescue to firefighters can help keep your family safe from fire’s harm.

A Firefighter’s Duty

A firefighter’s priorities are to rescue you and your family, and to minimize the damage to your home and property. However, firefighters will do their best to find and rescue any animals found in the home. The Fire Department is equipped with the pet-sized oxygen masks and tanks needed to help resuscitate your pet, if necessary. If you are unable to take your pet out with you, the best thing you can do is to let the first firefighter on the scene know that there is a family pet inside. Keep a picture of your pet with you, show the firefighter and tell him or her your pet’s name.

What Can You Do?

When you test your smoke alarm once a month, see how your pet reacts to the sound of the smoke alarm. Do they stay close to you or do they run and hide? This will tell you how they might respond in an actual emergency when the smoke alarm is activated.
If your pet is within reach and you can secure them quickly and without putting yourself at risk, try to cage or put a leash on your pet and evacuate together. If your pet is resisting or trying to hide, here are a few things you can do to make rescuing your pet easier:

Large animals: If possible, put your pet in a room and shut the door to keep more smoke from entering the room and help prevent smoke inhalation. Get out of the house and tell the first firefighter on the scene where your animal is located. Some large animals that are very scared might attack the firefighter or make it harder for them to be rescued – if you can crate these animals in a less smoky environment, do so.

Small animals: Many pets will run and hide under beds or in closets. If you know where they’ve gone, shut the door to that room and tell the first firefighter on the scene where your animal is located. If your pet carrier is accessible, and you can grab your pet easily, place him or her inside and get out of the house. If your car keys are accessible and your car is parked out of harm’s way, your car can be used to secure pets until you can inform the first firefighter on scene.

Practicing home fire drills – not only with your family but with your pet – can also ensure quickly getting to safety. Practice this from every part of your home, and know two ways out from each room.

Medical Emergencies

If 911 has been called because of a medical emergency, secure your pet in a crate or closed off room. This will help prevent your pet from getting too stressed, getting lost, or attacking emergency crew. If you can, call someone to come take care of your pet.

For More Information

Contact:
Seattle Fire Department
fireinfo@seattle.gov
www.seattle.gov/fire

SEATTLE – The Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Fire Fighters Union, Local 27, invite the community to check out the completed renovation of Seattle’s historic Fire Station 14, located at 3224 Fourth Ave. S in the SODO District, during an open house on May 16, 2013, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fire Station 14 is home to the Seattle Fire Department’s Technical Rescue Team. Their specialties involve collapsed buildings, trench cave-ins, high angle rope rescues, marine accidents requiring the Dive Team, confined space emergencies and heavy machinery and transportation incidents. The Tech Rescue Team is centrally located in order to quickly respond anywhere in the city to various high level rescues.

“This is an opportunity for the residents of Seattle to learn more about our nationally recognized Technical Rescue Team “says Fire Chief Gregory Dean. “These firefighters are highly trained to respond to incidents that pose the highest safety risk to both victims and firefighters.”

Fire Station 14 is one of 32 neighborhood fire stations being upgraded, renovated or replaced through the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Program, which was approved by Seattle voters in 2003. Six personnel are on duty at the station per shift.

Built in 1927, Fire Station 14 was designated a historic landmark by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board in 2005. This designation limits changes to the façade of the building; all exterior modifications completed as part of this renovation were approved by the board.

The $8.8 million renovation project included the addition of a new 1,600 square foot apparatus bay; seismic upgrades; new insulated windows and a new roof; new decontamination facilities; new emergency dive gear storage and cleaning facilities; and more. Construction began in August 2012 and was completed in March 2013.

The renovated building reflects the city’s commitment to green design practices. Seattle is seeking a LEED Silver certification for the facility, which includes low VOC (volatile organic compound) construction materials; new insulated windows; a solar hot water heating system, located on the roof; and LED interior lighting.

“Seattle is leading the way in our push for environmentally sustainable buildings,” says Mayor Mike McGinn. “I invite the public to come check out their newly renovated historic Fire Station.”

Fire Station 14 was developed by the city of Seattle’s Department of Finance and Administrative Services, designed by Bassetti Architects of Seattle and built by Turner Construction Company.

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Link to website: http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/neighborday/

Fire Stations scheduled to be Open.

Waterfront Fire Station 5 925 Alaskan Way

Highpoint Fire Station 11 1514 SW Holden Street

Greenlake Fire Station 16 6846 Oswego Place NE

University District Fire Station 17 1050 NE 50th Street

Ballard Fire Station 18 1521 NW Market Street

Queen Anne Fire Station 20 3205 13th Avenue West

Phinney Ridge Fire Station 21 7304 Greenwood Avenue North

Roanoke Fire Station 22 901 E. Roanoke Street

Bitter Lake Fire Station 24 401 N 130th Street

Capitol Hill Fire Station 25 1300 E. Pine Street

South Park Fire Station 26 800 South Cloverdale Street

Rainier Valley Fire Station 28 5968 Rainier Avenue South

Mount Baker Fire Station 30 2931 Mount Baker Blvd S.

Northgate Fire Station 31 1319 N. Northgate Way

West Seattle Junction Fire Station 32 3715 SW Alaska Street

Rainier Beach Fire Station 33 9645 Renton Avenue South

Crown Hill Fire Station 35 8729 15th Avenue NW

West Seattle Fire Station 37 7700 35th Avenue SW

Hawthorne Hills Fire Station 38 4004 NE 55th Street

Lake City Fire Station 39 2806 NE 127th Street

Fire Station 41 2416 34th Avenue West

Cooking-related fires are the number one cause of home fires.

Safety Precautions

• Do not leave cooking unattended on the stove. A serious fire can start in just seconds.

• Keep the stove and oven clean. Butter, oil and other greasy foods left on the stove can catch fire.

• Keep children and pets away from the stove while cooking.

• Keep items that can catch fire, such as dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, at least three feet away from the range top.

• Never use the stove or oven to heat your home. Double-check the kitchen before you go to bed or leave the house.

If a fire starts in a pan, turn off the stove and carefully cover the pan with a lid or another pan. Do not move it until it is cool.

And finally, use timers when cooking and make sure your smoke alarms work.

CO poisoning can happen any time of year, however, CO poisoning incidents tend to increase during storm-related power outages. Following a 2006 windstorm, 250 people were treated for CO poisoning in the Puget Sound area and eight died, all from either burning charcoal briquettes inside their homes or from improper use of gasoline-powered generators.

Here are ways to keep your family safe from carbon monoxide poisoning.

1. Do not burn charcoal or use gasoline generators indoors, including the garage.

2. Never use gas ovens to heat your home, even for a short time.

3. If you use a fireplace or wood stove, make sure that chimneys and flues are in good condition and are not blocked.

4. Never idle a car in a garage, even when the garage door is open.

5. If you use gas or oil appliances, make certain carbon monoxide alarms are installed on every level of your home and outside every sleeping area.

If the CO detector sounds, turn off any heating appliance and open windows to get fresh air. Call 911 if you experience CO poisoning symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, or headaches and move to fresh air immediately. If you suspect an appliance is the source, call a qualified technician to fix the problem before restarting the appliance.

To learn more visit the following web sites:

- http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/disaster/carbon-monoxide-english.aspx-

http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/brochures/carbon%20monoxide.pdf

For holiday fire safety information, visit the Seattle Fire Department’s Holiday Fire Safety site at:
http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/holiday/default.htm

At 5:05 a.m. on Sunday November 18, 2012, a neighbor called the Fire Alarm Center and reported seeing flames coming from a house located in the 9400 block of 7th Avenue SW. The fire was located in the bedroom of the single family home. The flames burned through the sub-floor and into the crawlspace below.

No one was injured. The fire investigator estimates the damage at $70,000.

In 2010, candle fires caused 90 deaths, 820 injuries and $370 million in property damage according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). December is the peak time of the year for home candle fires.

The Seattle Fire Department’s Public Education Unit offers these basic rules to follow:

• Always keep burning candles within sight.

• Extinguish all candles when leaving the room of before going to sleep.

• Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.

• Place lighted candles where they won’t be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.

• Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets books, flammable decorations etc.
• Read and carefully follow all manufacturer instructions. Do not burn a candle longer than the manufacturer recommends.

• Extinguish pillar and taper candles when they burn to within two inches of the holder.

• Discontinue burning the votive and container candles before the last half-inch of wax melts.

http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/brochures/candles.pdf

Following a 2006 windstorm, 250 people were treated for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in the Puget Sound area and eight died, all from either burning charcoal briquettes inside their homes or from improper use of gasoline-powered generators. In response to these tragedies, new state-wide law and building codes require CO alarms in most residential buildings, including single-family homes.

More information on carbon monoxide alarm requirements may be found on the Seattle Fire Department website at http://www.seattle.gov/fire
General information on carbon monoxide poisoning can be found at: http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/brochures/carbon%20monoxide.pdf

Changing smoke alarm at least once a year is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce home fire deaths. In fact, working smoke alarms can lower the chance of dying in a home fire by providing an early warning and critical extra seconds to escape.

Every home in Seattle should have the protection of smoke alarms. The Seattle Fire Department can install smoke alarms and batteries free of charge in homes where the homeowner is either a senior citizen, living on a low income, or has a disability. If you live outside the city of Seattle, please contact your local Fire Department to request assistance.

For more information call 206-386-1337 or email fireinfo@seattle.gov or visit www.seattle.gov/fire

October 19–Several recent fires in Seattle serve to remind residents to pay special attention to fire safety. Over the past several days, firefighters have responded to fires caused by unattended cooking and overloaded outlets and extension cords.

Here are a few tips to keep your home safe this fall season:

Electrical
• Avoid using extension cords and plug adapters.
• Utilize power strips with internal circuit breakers instead of extension cords to prevent overheated electrical extension cords.
• Make sure extension cords are not tacked to walls, run under rugs, or through doorways.
• Unplug small appliances, like the toaster or coffee maker, when not in use.

Kitchen
• Always use a timer when cooking and stay in the kitchen when cooking with oil or grease. If a fire starts in a pan, cover it with a lid.
• Always keep the stove area clean.
• Never use the oven to heat the home.

And make sure you have working smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and a fire escape plan that has been practiced by everyone in the home.

To learn more, http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/homesafety/september.htm